Composition of the moon The average composition of the lunar surface by weight is roughly 43

percent oxygen, 20 percent silicon, 19 percent magnesium, 10 percent iron, 3 percent calcium, 3 percent
aluminum, 0.42 percent chromium, 0.18 percent titanium and 0.12 percent manganese
The surface of the moon
Children's fairytales tell us that the moon is made of cheese, but like all bodies in the solar system, rock is
the more realistic ingredient. The moon's surface is covered with dead volcanoes, impact craters, and lava
flows, some visible to the unaided stargazer.
Moon Phases Simplified
It's probably easiest to understand the moon cycle in this order: new moon and full moon, first quarter and
third quarter, and the phases in between.
As shown in the above diagram, the new moon occurs when the moon is positioned between the earth and
sun. The three objects are in approximate alignment (why "approximate" is explained below). The entire
illuminated portion of the moon is on the back side of the moon, the half that we cannot see.
At a full moon, the earth, moon, and sun are in approximate alignment, just as the new moon, but the
moon is on the opposite side of the earth, so the entire sunlit part of the moon is facing us. The shadowed
portion is entirely hidden from view.
The first quarter and third quarter moons (both often called a "half moon"), happen when the moon is
at a 90 degree angle with respect to the earth and sun. So we are seeing exactly half of the moon
illuminated and half in shadow.
Once you understand those four key moon phases, the phases between should be fairly easy to visualize,
as the illuminated portion gradually transitions between them.
An easy way to remember and understand those "between" lunar phase names is by breaking out and
defining 4 words: crescent, gibbous, waxing, and waning. The word crescent refers to the phases where
the moon is less than half illuminated. The word gibbous refers to phases where the moon is morethan
half illuminated. Waxing essentially means "growing" or expanding in illumination, and waningmeans
"shrinking" or decreasing in illumination.
Thus you can simply combine the two words to create the phase name, as follows:
After the new moon, the sunlit portion is increasing, but less than half, so it is waxing crescent. After the
first quarter, the sunlit portion is still increasing, but now it is more than half, so it is waxing gibbous.
After the full moon (maximum illumination), the light continually decreases. So the waning
gibbous phase occurs next. Following the third quarter is the waning crescent, which wanes until the
light is completely gone -- a new moon.
The Moon's Orbit
You may have personally observed that the moon goes through a complete moon phases cycle in about
one month. That's true, but it's not exactly one month. The synodic period or lunation is exactly

29.5305882 days. It's the time required for the moon to move to the same position (same phase) as seen
by an observer on earth. If you were to view the moon cycling the earth from outside our solar system
(the viewpoint of the stars), the time required is 27.3217 days, roughly two days less. This figure is called
the sidereal period or orbital period. Why is the synodic period different from the sidereal period? The
short answer is because on earth, we are viewing the moon from a moving platform: during the moon
cycle, the earth has moved approximately one month along its year-long orbit around the sun, altering our
angle of view with respect to the moon, and thus altering the phase. The earth's orbital direction is such
that it lengthens the period for earthbound observers.
Although the synodic and sidereal periods are exact numbers, the moon phase can't be precisely
calculated by simple division of days because the moon's motion (orbital speed and position) is affected
and perturbed by various forces of different strengths. Hence, complex equations are used to determine
the exact position and phase of the moon at any given point in time.
Also, looking at the diagram (and imagining it to scale), you may have wondered why, at a new moon, the
moon doesn't block the sun, and at a full moon, why the earth doesn't block sunlight from reaching the
moon. The reason is because the moon's orbit about the earth is about 5 degrees off from the earth-sun
orbital plane.
However, at special times during the year, the earth, moon, and sun do in fact "line up". When the moon
blocks the sun or a part of it, it's called a solar eclipse, and it can only happen during the new moon
phase. When the earth casts a shadow on the moon, it's called a lunar eclipse, and can only happen during
the full moon phase. Roughly 4 to 7 eclipses happen in any given year, but most of them minor or
"partial" eclipses. Major lunar or solar eclipses are relatively uncommon.
- Spring tides
During the full moon and new moon phases, the Moon and the Sun are aligned and their effects
combined, producing the spring tides. On the tide tables we can see the high tidal coefficient of the tides
when both celestial bodies are aligned.
There is a proven increase in the activity of fish during spring tides, above all if these coincide with
sunrise or sunset, and these are the most propitious days for fishing.
- Neap tides
During waxing and waning moons, on the contrary, the effects are detracted, thereby obtaining tides of
less amplitude (lower tidal coefficient), called neap tides.
The movement on the seabed tends to be less and this normally results in days that are less propitious for
fishing than days with spring tides.
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of gravitational forces exerted by
the Moon, Sun, and rotation of the Earth.
semi-diurnal tide - two nearly equal high and low tides each day. Others locations experience
a diurnal tide - only one high and low tide each day. A "mixed tide"; two uneven tides a day, or one high
and one low, is also possible.

Range
Tidal range refers to the difference in height between high and low water.
Diurnal Tides
A single high and a single low tide occur each day. They tend to occur in certain areas when the
moon is at its furthest from the equator.
What is a Proxigean Spring Tide?
The Moon follows an elliptical path around the Earth which has a perigee distance of 356,400 kilometers,
which is about 92.7 percent of its mean distance. Because tidal forces vary as the third power of distance,
this little 8 percent change translates into 25 percent increase in the tide- producing ability of the Moon
upon the Earth. If the lunar perigee occurs when the Moon is between the Sun and the Earth, it produces
unusually high Spring high tides. When it occurs on the opposite side from the Earth that where the Sun is
located ( during full moon) it produces unusually low, Neap Tides. The High, High Tide is called the
Proxigean Spring Tide and it occurs not more than once every 1.5 years. Some occurrences are more
favorable that others.